You’re buying more than a lentil, bean or pea…You’re part of an EVOLUTION.

At Farmer Direct Co-op, we challenge our food system’s norms and continually redefine what “fair” and “sustainable” farming mean. We are pioneering positive change by treating FARMERS, FARM WORKERS and the LAND with respect.

100% Farmer-Owned Cooperative

means the highest integrity.It means democratic, family farmer controlled. One farm, one vote.COOPERATION IN ACTION.

Through our actions and activities we aim to:

Foster ethical and equitable relationships by providing fair return for producers' products; fair wages and safe and healthy workplaces for employees; and clear communication with all stakeholders.

Provide producers with an opportunity for cooperative ownership of their own food brand and marketing channels.

Provide safe, nutritious food for consumers.

Our History

Farmer Direct Cooperative was founded in 2002 by farmers who continually faced unfair pricing, poor logistics, and a lack of transparency when marketing their grain. They collaborated to build a cooperative that would allow them to sell their crops, which included flaxseed, lentils, hempseed and peas, in a fair and direct way.

The Canadian prairies have a strong cooperative history, particularly for farmers. For example, Farmer Direct Cooperative’s board president, Kevin Bristow, grew up watching his father run member services for a large conventional farmer co-op. To this deep history of cooperatives, Farmer Direct brings a unique commitment to three attributes:

100% Farmer Owned

100% Organic Business

100% Domestic Fair Trade Certified

No other business of its kind boasts all three.

Farmer-Owned

Organizing as a cooperative, farmer-owned business was a bit of a no-brainer for the farmers. The strong culture of cooperatives in the area laid the groundwork, so when the farmers decided to come together, they knew they wanted each member to have one vote regardless of the farm's size ("one farm, one vote"), open and voluntary membership, and a way to participate fairly in an economic endeavor. What other way than through a cooperative? Their board president summed up why he joined the co-op in this way: “I believe in cooperatives, I believe in fairness, I believe in transparency. Collectively we have more strength, more advantage, more opportunity.”

Certified Organic

All 60+ family farms that are member-owners of Farmer Direct Cooperative are fully organic. Most of them have been organic for a decade or more. None of FDC’s members are “split operations,” or farms that grow both conventional and organic products. The strong commitment to only selling organic products is one of the big draws that brings farmers into the cooperative.